A close second - Related Image

When I saw this wallhanging at the interguild challenge at the Buckhorn quilt show, I walked within inches of it to get a very close look at the textures and techniques used to create them. Nancy Johnston spent a lot of time and creative energy on this wonderful whimsical piece, which placed second in the challenge.

"Experimentation is fun," she says of Waiting for Spring. "Antique pleating was used to give the trees its dimension."

If you look closely, you'll see how she adjusted the pleats so the tree looks like it has a burl in it. The photo doesn't do it justice; the fabric's print and how Nancy twisted it made for an incredible visual effect.

"Variegated embroidery thread was used for the pine trees. In the rest of the background, I used a variegated embroidery thread that has a small amount of yellow and purple for that hint of new life as the leaf buds start to colour the landscape.

"The water is a combination of the right and wrong side of challenge fabric cut into small strips and held down with thread to signify the breaking up of the ice."

On top of coming up with ideas that are inspiring, Nancy also injected a bit of humour.

"The bear just has to wait. Sometimes being an early riser just doesn't pay off."

The scene reminds me of how my black dog waits for permission to go into the water. Nancy has added a bit of silver thread around the bear to give him a little bit of shine, adding an ethereal quality to the scene.